Anyone Criticising Government is Immediately Branded as Anti-national: Shabana Azmi

A couple of months ago, Shabana Azmi had hit the headlines after she slammed 'fake news brigade' for attributing a false quote to her, which claimed the actor would leave the country "if Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again."

New Delhi: Veteran Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi made a veiled attack on Narendra Modi-led government stating that these days anyone who criticises it (government) is termed as anti-national.

“If we do not point out the flaws, how would the conditions improve?,” the actress asked while addressing after getting ‘Kunti Mathur Award’ instituted by the Anandmohan Mathur Charitable Trust for her work for women

Azmi, who is often been trolled for holding anti-majoritarian views and questioning the establishment said,”In the interest of our country, it is necessary that we also point out its shortcomings. But the atmosphere now is such that if you criticise, especially the government, you are immediately branded as anti-national.”

Without naming any political party or ideology, Azmi asserted that we should not be afraid of this as nobody needs their certificate. “We have grown up in `Ganga-Jamni’ (composite) culture. We should not kneel before this situation. India is a beautiful country. Any attempt to divide people can not be good for this country,” she stated further.

A couple of months ago, Shabana Azmi had hit the headlines after she slammed ‘fake news brigade’ for attributing a false quote to her, which claimed the actor would leave the country “if Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again.”

“I’ve never said this and I have no intentions of leaving the country. This is where I was born and this is where I’ll die. I have nothing but contempt for The Fake News Brigade,” Azmi said.

In a series of tweets, the veteran actor wrote that the “fake news brigade is pretty pathetic” and since they can’t talk about issues, they repeatedly sell lies so that people believe them as truth.

“Their overdrive exposes their fear at losing out…But they are falling flat on their faces because there are enough brave voices exposing them.”

The veteran actor had said that her father Kaifi Azmi taught her to never treat her opponents like enemies.